The proprietors of numerous IT companies and Managed Providers (MSP’s) start their careers by being employed as sole technicians, frequently serving the domestic market – fixing home users PC’s.
I personally found went lower this route. For Several years I provided support to a lot of home users, doing from establishing Wireless systems in homes, to fixing printers, to cleaning infections infested PC’s (again, and again, and again it appeared… ).
However a thought happens. You start to understand you don’t possess a business, you have employment. Additionally you realize that you’re selling your time and effort for the money, which if you wish to earn a good earnings, the reduced-rates you’re charging by users multiplied through the equivalent hrs in every day imply that you may never achieve your earnings goals.
Which means you decide to begin focusing your attention around the business market.
Here’s 3 strategies for making the transition from dealing with home users to business clients.
Lift up your rates
Home users are usually ultra cost sensitive. You may be charging your overall home user clients everything from $60 an hour or so minimizing.
Your instinct, therefore, would be to charge something such as this for business clients. You’ll find it difficult to believe that you could charge in addition to that for the services, according to that which you presently see to become your personal value.
This can be a trap I have seen a variety of it companies moving from serving the house user to business market fall under.
Should you under-cost the services you provide, then you will cause lots of prospects to question why you are extremely cheap frequently considerably, you’ll be perceived as being offering the best value and the quantity of business you’ll win increases.
Wait one minute! By charging more, I’ll win more business?
Absolutely. Perform some researching the market and discover how your competitors charge. Then a minimum of match individuals prices. Preferably charge more. Then watch while you win more business.
Act Professionally
When confronted with home user clients, especially cost conscious home users, it’s less what you are but regardless of whether you can complete the job – and cheaply.
When confronted with business clients, they would like to know they coping somebody reliable, legitimate and professional.
You can assist to construct this professional image and engender trust if you take a couple of easy steps.
Provide a landline phone number, and not simply a mobile phone number. Just one mobile phone number suggests a sole Specialist. A landline number continues to be a lot more reliable. If you are concerned about missing calls when you’re out, employ the expertise of call answering service or utilize Voice-
Have proper business card printing printed. While cheap flimsy cards are OK when you are coping with home users, should you provide a business a wafer-thin dog-eared card to the typical business proprietor – they’ll immediately see you to definitely be under an outstanding business proprietor.
Dress the part. Jeans along with a polo shirt might have been OK until recently, but if you wish to enter business offices and become given serious attention – you’re ready to think about your appearance. Dress for that location. If you are your factory atmosphere, a shirt together with your emblem on and smart pants and footwear may be appropriate. If you are using a expertise client (just like an accountant or solicitor) then suit, shirt and tie is much more suitable for. If uncertain, opt for the suit.
Invoice quickly. By quickly, I do not mean per month later. Invoice within 24 hours while you complete any work. This can ensure you’ve got a better possibility of being compensated quickly as the jobs are fresh within the clients mind. Make certain you incorporate your bank details and then any other relevant info on the invoice. Making certain you bill in due time for that work you have done shows you are a significant business, not really a part-time hobbyist.